(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mooring cover which functions as a storage device and is specifically adapted to be used in connection with a structural element commonly found on a boat dock, for instance a mooring, dock piling or the railing extending therefrom. It is intended that the present invention will be especially useful for boaters and others who work on or with boats alongside docks or piers. In one embodiment of the invention, the mooring cover or storage device fits on top of the mooring or piling and is adapted to hold a boater's personal items, such as, by way of illustration and without limitation, keys, shoes, personal electronic equipment, cell phones, radios, food, and beverages. In another embodiment, the device fits over the railing of the dock. In each case, the mooring cover or storage device allows common boating items to be conveniently stored thereby tidying up the dock area and alleviating potential safety problems. As will become apparent from the disclosure herein, the mooring cover or storage device may also be especially useful for storing boat rigging equipment, such as ropes, hooks, anchors, clips, sail covers, and sails; or the storage device may be especially useful in storing boat cleaning equipment, such as waxes, sponges, cloths, and paint.
(2) Description of the Related Art
Boats in general tend to have a lot equipment and accessories associated with their use. For instance, before using a sail boat, the boat must be outfitted with sails, rope, clips, and many other small fixtures. Often these items are not stored on the boat but are carried by the boater to a dock where the boat is moored. In addition to boat equipment, boaters usually bring many personal items on board the boat, such as wallets, cellular telephones, keys, other personal electronic equipment, and food and beverages. These items are also not typically stored on the boat but are brought by the boater before embarking. These items, together with the lines and other items to be brought on the boat, are often laid out on the dock while the boaters make the boat ready for sail. Typically, street shoes are one item that is left on a dock or a pier while the boat is made ready for sail to prevent “street grit” from damaging the boat's finish. Usually, these items are placed on the dock in a rather haphazard fashion while the boaters scurry around to prepare the boat.
As space on a dock is rather limited, a dock tends to become cluttered rather rapidly as items are unpacked. This creates an inconvenience for the boaters and a potential safety hazard to people on the dock. As these items are spread out on the dock, there tends to be limited space to stand and walk around the dock prior to boarding and de-boarding the boat. Personal items placed on the dock risk being knocked into the water or being blown off the dock by the wind. The lines placed on the dock may become tangled or fall in the water. Sometimes boats are moored adjacent finger piers or gangways that extend from a main pier or dock. Many of these finger piers or gangways are narrow with some being even less than a foot in width, thereby exacerbating the problem of dock clutter.
What is needed is an apparatus that solves these disadvantages by providing a storage device for items that are commonly used on boats, including boater's personal items. Such a device would provide a way to organize the dock, including providing a place to store mooring lines and other boat rigging equipment and a boater's personal belongings while the boat is being made ready for sail or when the boater returns to a dock after sailing.